Dracones et Aves
by CreativeDreamer98
Summary: Draco Malfoy and Avery Emendatio were childhood friends raised together. But when Avery got sick she had to move away and the two never spoke again...until she transferred to Hogwarts during the gang's Fourth Year. Will things be the same?
1. Chapter 1  Forever Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That belongs to J.K. Rowling. The character of Avery however does belong to me. This story is a part of a story that a friend of mine and I wrote together, and she is currently publishing the story from the Gryffindor point of view. The characters of Ella and Gina belong to her. Kristy is also mine. This is my first story so please all input you have to offer is welcome!

Chapter One – Friends Forever

I never imagined that she would be the one. In my wildest dreams I could not have known that it would come to this or end this way. Truthfully, I had all but forgotten her. We were so young when we met, and then she had to leave. How was I to know that fate would return her to me again? How could I have known what she would do for me? How she would save me…how she would sacrifice for me. I was never prepared to fall in love. It wasn't my plan, nor my father's, or anyone else's. Things were where I thought they were supposed to be. But she changed everything. She changed me. Down to the very core of who I am, she touched me, and I became someone new. If only I could have foreseen where that would lead me. How I would come here now, helping him, losing her, trying to find a reason to live when everywhere you look there is death. War is a bloody and terrible thing. But love…true love…that is beautiful. She taught me that. I would do anything to change history, and yet, there is so little I could change. But I can remember. I remember everything.

"Oh they are precious aren't they? If I didn't know better I'd say they were related." Pia Emendatio crooned while she watched her daughter and friend play together on the floor with blocks. Narcissa Malfoy sat beside her and smiled.

"Indeed. And they get along so well together." She added, watching as her son handed the little girl a block when she asked for it.

"She's very polite." Narcissa complimented. Pia smiled.

"Thank you. And Draco is a little gentleman. Takes after his father." She smiled and winked to Narcissa. Narcissa laughed.

"I agree." She smiled proudly over little Draco. Draco looked over at Avery to see features that he had come to assume normal, as young children will when they see something often enough. Light blonde hair, fair skin, baby blue eyes…the only difference was that Avery's hair had a soft wave to it, where as his was straight. Avery met his gaze with her own and smiled. Draco returned the gesture and stood, holding a hand to her.

"Let's go on an adventure Avi." He said. When he was first learning to talk, Draco had trouble pronouncing Avery's name, and so he called her Avi instead. Somehow the nickname stuck and soon it became his special name for her. She took his hand and got up, holding on tight.

"Okay!" she chirped happily. Narcissa and Pia smiled as they watched their children hurry off to explore the large Malfoy Manor together. The two had been raised together since birth and were the best of friends and constant playmates. Pia had gone to school with Narcissa and their husbands worked together in the Ministry. Both had a history with the Dark Lord, and it seemed only right that their children should be friends as well. The two were inseparable and both parents thought that was a wonderful and adorable thing.

Draco and Avery played together almost every day. But then things began to change. Avery got sick. At first it was just a little cold every once in a while, but then her illnesses persisted, and she was always in bed or something of the like. Whenever Draco saw her, she looked pale and thin and frail, like one of his mother's pieces of porcelain, so delicate it could break if you blew too hard on it. But one thing never changed, Avery would always smile when she saw him. She would always smile and say hello.

Soon Avery's doctor decided that for her own health, she needed to move away to the countryside where she could get more fresh air. Draco was allowed to visit her one last time before she left, and that was the one time she didn't smile.

Avery was crying when Draco walked in. She was too weak to sit up on her own, so she was supported by pillows piled behind her. Something built inside the little boy's chest, twisting his heart and pushing him to do anything to stop her tears and return her smile.

"Avi what's wrong?" Draco asked, going to her side. Avery looked up at him with tearful eyes from behind her tiny hands.

"I'm moving in a few days and I won't get to see you anymore." she explained through her sniffles. The reality of her leaving hit Draco hard in the stomach. What would he do without her? Who would he play with? Who would he spend time with? She was his best friend. He felt tears sting his own eyes, but refused to let them win. Somehow he knew crying wouldn't help the helpless girl before him.

"Sure you will. I'll come visit you. And you can come visit me." Draco replied with a supportive smile, "and we'll meet back up at Hogwarts." Avery looked at him.

"You think so?" she asked. He nodded.

"Course. Then we can spend all our time together cause we'll be in the same place." He said, proud to see that he was having an effect on her. Avery smiled.

"I'll miss you Draco." She said sincerely. Draco dug his toe into the ground for a moment before looking up at her.

"I'll miss you too Avi." He said.

"Draco?"

"Yes Avi?"

"Promise we'll be friends forever?"

"I promise." Draco held out his pinkie finger towards her. Avery smiled and wrapped her pinkie around his. Draco smiled to see her smile. He would remember that smile, even after many years after Avery had moved away and they had lost touch. Even though he never mentioned her to anyone, or that she was still unable to attend when school started up, Draco remembered the smile on the little girl's face when he was able to stop her from crying.


	2. Chapter 2  Broken Promises

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That belongs to J.K. Rowling. The character of Avery however does belong to me. This story is a part of a story that a friend of mine and I wrote together, and she is currently publishing the story from the Gryffindor point of view. To read that, please look at Sgt Ducky's page. The characters of Ella, Gina, Sage, and Celine belong to her. Kristy, Blake, and Chloe are also mine. This is my first story so please all input you have to offer is welcome!

Chapter Two – Broken Promises

She was different. Yes, she was different. She wasn't like anyone else in Slytherin…except Ella, but no one really counted her as a Slytherin then. That got her into a lot of trouble in the end. At first I didn't want to deal with it, didn't want to face it. I had too much ego. But I should have known it couldn't last forever. There was something about her honesty, her kindness, that always drew me to her. It was inevitable. We were inevitable.

Three years at Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry, had already sped by. It defined the students there, and unspoken rules were laid out. Draco was destined to be the head of Slytherin. He already was for anyone 4th year or younger, and even the older students respected him. And his enemy was Harry Potter, the gem in the crown of Gryffindor. Anyone who associated with Harry did not associate with Draco, and vice versa. Those were the unspoken rules of hatred between the two. It seemed at first that the general animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor would be kept. But then Ella Gaunt arrived and threw everything into a loop. She befriended Harry and his friends. She spent time with them, hung out with them, and that couldn't be forgiven. Not when she was a student of Slytherin. When she "joined the enemy" third year, it became another unspoken rule that Ella was to be ignored and ostracized by the other students. She wasn't considered to be a real Slytherin, just some weirdo who got put in the house on accident. And that was how things were.

Three years of adventures and mishaps had come and gone, and with the start of the fourth year, all the students were excited. After all, everyone had heard that there was something special happening at Hogwarts this year. Only few knew what that actually was. For Draco, however, another surprise was in store. When the first years had been shepherded in to the Great Hall to be sorted, there was one girl who stood taller than the rest, and was clearly older. A sense of familiarity washed over Draco as he watched the girl with white blonde hair to match his own stand among the fearful first years. Surely, it couldn't be possible. When all the first years were sorted, Professor McGonagall looked at the girl.

"Transferring to Hogwarts into her fourth year is Miss Avery Emendatio." she announced as she gestured for Avery to come forward to be sorted. Avery walked up to the stool and sat down, a hopeful look on her face. All the tables watched curiously, wondering where the new girl would go. The hat shifted as he peered into her mind.

"It would seem you already know where you want to be." the hat muttered thoughtfully. Avery gave a little nod.

"Are you sure that is what you want? You could do well there, as well as Gryffindor." the hat asked in his own knowing way.

"It's where I've been raised to go. It's where I want to be." Avery replied and felt a tiny blush touch her cheeks. It was where she was told _he_ was. The hat gave a small nod.

"Very well." he replied.

"SLYTHERIN." the hat announced loudly. The Slytherin table gave a small, if not slightly bored, applause. Avery jumped up happily when the hat was removed and went over to the Slytherin table. Her eyes found him out easily and she made her way over with both excitement and trepidation. Draco looked up to see her coming and felt his stomach twist. He looked back at the group, attempting to just ignore her.

"Another transfer student huh? How annoying. I hope she doesn't think that she can just automatically hang out with us." Pansy said snidely, looking at her nails. Blaise chuckled.

"We have a waiting list for that." he joked. Draco smirked lightly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Avery draw closer. It seemed she didn't realize they were trying to ignore her.

"Um…excuse me." Avery said shyly, stopping beside Draco. He slowly looked up at her. Yes, it must be her, even if the name hadn't told him, or the familiar hair, the eyes did. Eyes the same soft shade of blue as a clear sky on a warm summer's day. Those eyes that had looked so sad the last time he saw her, those eyes that had sparkled so brightly when he made his promise. Those were the same eyes that looked at him now, with a shy look, and yet still holding that same hopeful sparkle in them as once before. Pansy cleared her throat to break the moment that had formed between Draco and Avery.

"Can we help you?" she asked, her tone clearly condescending. Avery looked over at her surprised.

"Oh well um…it's just…" she fumbled and looked back at Draco.

"Are you Draco Malfoy?" she asked.

"I am." Draco replies, "what's it to you?" He knew he couldn't openly embrace her. Not after what everyone had just said. And really, what did he know about this girl now? They were friends when they were little. Her parents shortly after they left also abandoned the Dark Lord and turned to the other side. They were betrayers, what if she had the same qualities. They weren't a part of his world or his society any more. He had an image to keep, and this girl clearly did not belong in it. Avery didn't seem fazed though.

"It's me, Avery Emendatio. We were friends when we were little. Don't you remember me?" she asked, both confused and hopeful. Draco knew how to snip this in the bud.

"Sorry, no. You must have me confused with someone else." he said. Avery looked hurt.

"But…it must be you…" she fumbled, still confused as to why the boy who she so clearly remembered couldn't remember her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small photo.

"Isn't this you?" she asked, holding it out to him. It was indeed, of Draco and Avery, as little children, hugging each other and smiling out at him. Draco turned and glared at her.

"Put that away." he snapped. Avery flinched as if his words had physically hurt her. Pansy and the others around looked dubious.

"Is this girl bothering you Draco?" Blaise asked, eyeing Avery.

"She doesn't really think she can join in with us does she? Who does she think she is, some new girl trying to latch on to the cool kids?" Pansy sneered. Avery looked hurt and then back at Draco, the confusion and pain clear in her eyes. Those soft blue eyes began to water.

"You must be mistaken." was Draco's only response. Avery took a step back and with one more longing, hurt look at Draco, she headed towards the empty end of the table with an air of rejection. There was only one other girl sitting at the far end of the table, and Avery kept her eyes down as she sat across from her, hoping to avoid more ridicule.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, her voice laced with sincere concern. Avery looked up. She nodded.

"Yes…I just…I'm a little confused." she said. The girl gave her a supportive smile.

"Malfoy is just a jerk. Don't let him get to you." she explained. Avery shook her head.

"That can't be right. The Draco I knew was sweet and kind." Avery replied. The girl looked confused.

"Do you know Malfoy?" she asked. Avery nodded.

"We used to play together when we were children. He was my best friend. I had to move away because of my health but we promised to always be friends. I thought that since I was coming here now…" she trailed off and looked down sadly. The girl gave her a sad and sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry…maybe he'll come around." the girl offered, although she knew perfectly well that there was very little chance of that.

"I'm Ella by the way." the girl said. Avery looked up again and smiled.

"I'm Avery, it's nice to meet you." she said. Ella smiled.

"You too. If you want, you're welcome to come hang out with my friends and I. They're all in Gryffindor and they're really nice." she offered. Avery smiled.

"I'd love to, thank you." she said, entirely unaware of the animosity between houses. Ella smiled brightly.

"Great. We can go talk to them after the meal is over." she said, before turning to listen to Dumbledore as he stepped up in front of the crowd. Avery studied the girl sitting across from her, with straight brown hair, and soft brown eyes to match, and smiled softly. She'd never had a female friend before, and it looked like she might have just made one.


	3. Chapter 3 New Friends

Disclaimer: As I've said before, JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. Others are mine and my friend's Sgt Ducky, go check out her stories too! Thank you to all the wonderful people who have been adding my story and sending me reviews. I will try my best to keep updating a chapter a day, but I have to admit I've been slightly distracted by something else I'm writing that will probably get posted here, so keep an eye open if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Now, on to the story!

Chapter Three – New Friends

I can remember every time I messed up. Ever tear I made her cry, ever harsh word or cold gaze I gave her; and each one rips my heart to shreds. Even now I regret every mistake I made and every time I hurt her. Even after she's told me a hundred times she doesn't regret a thing, that she's happy with how it ended, I can't forgive myself. How could I? Time is so short, so fleeting, it slips through your fingers like sand and before you know it, it's gone and you're left with nothing. Just sandy fingers that hurt when you rub them together. Pain. Nothing hurts worse than being left with nothing but regret and pain.

Dumbledore gave his introduction, explaining the Triwizard Tournament and how the rules would work, and then introduced the two guests that would join them at Hogwarts. Avery listened curiously, since she had never been at the school prior, she had no idea that it was not the norm. Other students listened with both excitement and some with distaste. Most of the male students were focused on the girls from Beauxbatons as they sat and whispered quietly to each other. The female students were more focused on Victor Krum as he sat, stoic beside his headmaster. Once the introduction was done the food appeared magically at the tables. Avery and Ella chatted lightly during their meal, but mostly filled their hungry bellies. Once the food had begun to diminish, Ella looked up at Avery.

"Would you like to come meet my friends now?" Ella asked with a smile. Avery nodded.

"Alright." she agreed. The girls got up and made their way over to one end of the Gryffindor table. Avery could feel eyes boring into her back and she turned to see Draco and his group watching her. Draco quickly looked away, a slight frown on his lips. Avery felt another pang of hurt and quickly turned her attention back to the group of smiling faces in front of her.

"Hi guys." Ella smiled. A black haired boy with piercing green eyes looked up at them and Avery instantly knew who he was by the lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

"Hey Ella!" he smiled in return, happy to see her. The others also smiled and greeted her, though some of them looked confused over Avery.

"This is Avery, she just joined the house." Ella explained, gesturing to Avery, as if they wouldn't know. Harry chuckled.

"So we heard." he pointed out. Ella blushed lightly.

"Oh…right." she fumbled. He smiled anyways.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Hermione Granger." a girl with bushy, curly brown hair smiled kindly to her. Avery smiled back.

"I'm Blake, it's a pleasure to meet you." a boy with sandy brown hair said with a devilishly charming smile, his smoky blue eyes twinkling with an underscore of mischief. Beside him, a dark haired boy sat, a similar twinkle in his eyes, and a smirk on his lips.

"I'm Sage." he greeted. The girl that sat beside him looked up at Avery with dark blue eyes that eyed her with both curiosity and distrust, framed by wavy dark brown hair.

"That's Kristy." Sage introduced, "she doesn't bite." Kristy stuck her tongue out at him and Sage laughed. Avery wondered if they were related or together. Next to Hermione sat a quiet girl with very light brown hair leaning on the side of blonde. She smiled politely in a shy way.

"Hi, I'm Gina." she introduced herself. Avery gave her a shy smile back. That just left a red haired boy covered in freckles, who was still shoving his dessert into his mouth. Hermione gave him a look and Ron suddenly grunted when a sharp foot collided with his knee. Ron gave Hermione a withering look and turned to Avery.

"I'm Ron." he said, managing to swallow his food before speaking. Hermione rolled her eyes. Avery wondered about them too. She smiled to everyone as they looked at her.

"It's nice to meet all of you." she said politely. Ella beamed proudly, glad to have introduced her to kind friends after she had such a cruel greeting from Malfoy.

"Another Slytherin huh? Slowly corrupting them all Ella." Harry teased her with a smile. Ella giggled. Avery looked confused.

"Why would she be corrupting them?" she asked naively. Everyone at the table looked at her bewildered, particularly the boys.

"Because Gryffindors and Slytherins don't get along." Hermione explains matter-of-factly, as if she were reading a fact out of a book. Avery frowned.

"Oh…." she said, glancing over at the table where Draco sat. Ella gave her a supportive smile.

"Sorry." she said.

"Something wrong?" Blake asked, a look of concern on his much too handsome face. Avery fiddled with her fingers, interlacing them in front of her.

"She knew Malfoy when she was little and he doesn't remember her now." Ella explained for her. Avery nodded sadly. Harry and Ron exchanged looks as Blake and Sage did the same.

"Forget about that git, he's just a prick anyways." Ron said. Avery snapped her gaze up, feeling a flush come to her cheeks.

"No he's not! He's a kind and caring person! I know it!" she said defensively. Harry looked at Ella.

"Who on earth did you bring over here?" he asked in a hushed whisper. Ella looked sheepish. Ron stared at Avery as if she had grown an extra head with twenty eyes and green skin. Avery turned redder.

"Malfoy? Kind? You sure you got the right guy?" Sage scoffed. Hermione gave them both a look.

"Just because you've had a bad experience with him doesn't mean everyone has." she said in Avery's defense. Avery felt grateful to the bushy haired girl. Sage rolled his eyes and Ron turned his gaze to Hermione with the same look he gave Avery. Hermione gave him a warning look and Ron returned to his dessert instead.

"So what do you guys think about the tournament?" Blake asked, trying to ease the tension by changing the topic. Everyone perked up eagerly.

"Too bad we can't join in huh?" Sage sighed wistfully. Blake nodded.

"That would have been awesome." he agreed. Ron nodded vigorously since his mouth was full. Harry seemed more passive. He could do with a year off.

"Everyone is a fourth year like us, except Blake who is a fifth year." Ella explained to Avery. She nodded her understanding.

"I wonder who will be the Hogwarts contestant." Gina mused aloud. Blake chuckled.

"My money's on Diggory." he said. Sage and a couple of the others nodded. Avery had no idea who he was, but she assumed he must be a seventh year, since that was a requirement. Ron looked ready to say something when Dumbledore stood up again.

"And now that our stomachs are full, I'm sure you all agree with me that a good night's rest is in order to prepare us for the adventures that await us tomorrow. Good night." he smiled, a twinkle in his soft blue eyes that Avery could somehow see even across the Great Hall. Chatter filled the hall as students all got up and headed their way towards their Common Rooms and dormitories. The Gryffindor group all stood and smiled to the two Slytherin girls.

"See you tomorrow?" Harry asked. Ella smiled and nodded.

"Hope we have most of our classes together again." Hermione smiled, the rest of the group nodding their agreement.

"We probably will, Slytherin and Gryffindor always seem to be put together." Kristy pointed out.

"True." Hermione nodded. Ella smiled and after saying goodnight to everyone she led Avery back over towards the sea of Slytherin students heading down to the dungeons. Avery smiled to Ella.

"Your friends are all so nice." she complimented. Ella beamed.

"They are. And they like you too. You're welcome to join us." she offered. Avery smiled gratefully.

"Thank you." She says sincerely. It was nice to have friends, particularly when you don't have the ones you thought you would. As if thinking about him made him appear, Avery happened to look up to meet with Draco's ice blue eyes. They were hardened against her, and yet there was something hidden deep inside them. Avery felt her heart stop for a moment and then beat into overtime as everything else seemed to slow down, and every other face blurred beside his, sounds fading out as well. He kept her gaze for a moment that lingered into an eternity, before reality rushed back into speed and he turned away to walk with his friends. It was the beginning of an interesting year.


	4. Chapter 4 Lessons Learned

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. The other characters belong to Sgt Ducky and myself.

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update guys! I suffered from an unknown physical ailment and then found myself in a bit of a writer's block. Fear not! I know where I am going with the story…just…a little shaky on how to get from point A to point B. But I will update more don't worry! I will not leave you hanging. And may I say, thank you to everyone who has added me or my story or has reviewed my writing. I so appreciate it! Every time it puts a HUGE smile on my face. So, this is for you guys, because you like it so much. Thanks for giving me a reason to write.

Chapter Four – Lessons Learned

Spring. A time of hope and rebirth. When everything that was killed during the long, cold, dark winter suddenly bursts back into life, green and bright. Just like a phoenix. I can see the flowers blooming, peeking their curious faces out at the sun when it warms them. I can see the leaves growing on the trees, returning what was barren and black to green and full of life. Although the snow has melted from the ground, and the ice from the trees, no amount of sunlight can warm the cold grip around my heart. No flower of hope will bloom over the expanse of regret. No green leaves can grow on the barren tree of mistakes looming fresh in my mind. I can see the spring, but it can't touch me. I won't let it.

A few months had passed now and it was nearing Christmas Break at Hogwarts. Excitement filled every hall and classroom, but of course, before the break could come, there was another event that filled the students with excitement and apprehension: the Yule Ball.

Avery lay on her bed, staring at her ceiling, lost in thought. She thought back over the past few months and everything she had learned, which was quite a bit, classroom lessons aside. Some of the things made her laugh, others not so much. She thought over her Gryffindor friends and her roommate Ella. She had learned a lot about them. First, that Harry was nothing like the Slytherins made him sound like when they whispered about him. He was very kind and surprisingly a bit modest. The truth was he didn't really want to be this famous guy, really he'd rather be a normal kid, but sadly he didn't have that luxury. She giggled at his claim that he didn't seek out trouble – trouble sought him out. Then there was his best friend Ron Weasley. Ron, on the other hand, wanted adventure and glory…without the danger. Or at least, without spiders. Avery remembered when a little spider had crawled on his paper when they were doing their homework in a group in the Great Hall. He'd screamed loudly and fallen backwards out of his seat. Harry had nearly fallen off his chair too – laughing at Ron.

But for all Ron's fears she had found him to be an extremely loyal friend to Harry, and was very good at comic relief when Harry or anyone in the group needed a smile. Avery got along great with him, as long as they weren't talking about Draco. Then she and Ron did not see eye to eye. She wasn't the only one who didn't see eye to eye with him. Hermione turned out to be quite a fireball. She and Ron fought constantly, bickering about any little thing from the placement of a period in Ron's essay to what Harry should do for the next task. Avery was aware that there was more to the situation though. Hermione had a crush on Ron that he was entirely and completely oblivious too. And apparently oblivious to his own feelings too. Avery felt bad for Hermione, but at least she and Ron were friends when it counted. She was really a brilliant witch and Avery was soooo thankful that Hermione had taken it upon herself to help tutor Avery when she didn't understand something. It was hard going from homeschooling to public school this far into the game.

Gina, Hermione's best friend, who it turns out, grew up next door to Hermione, also helped Avery when she could. Gina was a quiet and shy girl who didn't really boast that she was equally brilliant as Hermione. Gina had another gift as well; she was learning to be a healer. Gina had a problem similar to Hermione though, in that she had a huge (seemingly unnoticed) crush on a certain sandy haired heartthrob, in other words, Blake. Blake, who was actually a 5th year, was king of the school in many ways. He was a charmer, a flirt, and yet a gentleman. He had girls in every house chasing after him, and he charmed each one around his finger. He spent half of his time running around with Fred and George, the school pranksters, and the other half bothering Harry and his friends. Avery thought he was nice, but maybe a bit too cocky.

Then there was Blake's best friend and as good as brother, Sage. It turned out that Sage was the son of the apparently not mass murderer Sirius Black. It had taken a bit of explaining to Avery to get her to believe that the man she had read so much about was not actually evil. But Sage seemed so adamant and sincere about it, she had to believe him. Sage and Blake had been raised together by Sage's mother Celine, because Blake's father was always busy. Apparently Blake wanted very little to do with his father anyways, an ex-professor Remus Lupin. Avery had missed the year that he had taught, so she didn't try to comprehend the mixed messages about him. She just knew not to mention the man around Blake. He got very snippy. Avery had learned very quickly not to give Sage or Blake any reason to prank her whatsoever. Sage often ran with Blake with Fred and George and the four of them could be very dangerous at times. Well, most of the time.

Avery had suspected at first that there was something between Sage and the dark haired girl, Kristy, and in some ways she was correct, in some not. They were not related, nor were they dating, but it seemed pretty inevitable from the way they acted around each other. Clearly they liked each other even if they hadn't said anything. Kristy was a bit of an anomaly. She had a special gift called being an "elemental" that gave her control over the elements, such as wind and fire. Fire was her favorite. But Kristy didn't have the best control over her powers and so whenever she got mad something usually blew up or caught on fire. Avery did her best to not anger her. The easiest way to avoid that was to not mention Kristy's father who she hated with such a passion that just seeing him nearly set her off. Of course, this was a bit of a problem because they had class with her father nearly every day in potions – Severus Snape. So potions was never a pleasant experience for the group, particularly since Snape hated most of them. Outside of class Kristy was pretty fun to be around. She had a very spunky attitude and was always more than happy to express her opinion, which was usually sarcastic, sassy, and funny. Avery liked her a lot, even though her fire scared her sometimes.

Out of everyone in the group though, Avery had become closest with her now roommate Ella. Avery was sure there was never a sweeter person alive than Ella. She was sweet and kind, quiet but fun to be around. She and Ella stayed up late every night just talking, sometimes about important things, and sometimes about nothing at all. Ella didn't hate that Avery wanted to be friends with Draco like the others did, and didn't bash him in her presence. Avery appreciated that a lot. It was hard sometimes, listening to Harry and the group go on about how terrible Draco was when she couldn't bring her heart to feel the same. She knew her Draco had to be in there somewhere. Ella mostly just left the topic alone between the two of them. Ella had boy problems of her own. She too, like many girls their year it seemed, had gotten an unrequited crush on someone. Personally, Avery thought Ella and her crush would go together perfectly. The problem was, said boy didn't seem to realize that Ella was a girl, or that she had a crush on him. His eyes were locked somewhere else – Cho Chang. Yes, Ella had a crush on her closest guy friend, Harry Potter. It wasn't his popularity or his name that attracted her, Ella liked him for sincere reasons that Avery respected a lot. She knew he would see her sooner or later, he had to. No one would be as perfect for him as Ella, Avery was sure of it.

And then there was Draco. Avery hadn't given up since the first night, and had tried to talk to Draco again and again. But when it became apparent that Avery was running with the "Potter crowd" she was quickly shunned by the rest of the Slytherins, especially Draco. The first time she saw him while with the others he had given her a glare so cold she was sure her heart had frozen over on the spot. She shivered for minutes after that. Draco didn't acknowledge her after that. If she spoke to him he would ignore her or make snide comments. Mostly he didn't have to though; his posse took care of that. Pansy Parkinson seemed to have developed a real hatred for her and a love of being as cruel as possible to Avery. If they were ever alone in a hallway or a room, Pansy would talk about her as if she wasn't there and push her around when she passed. Avery tried her hardest to avoid Pansy.

It wasn't just Pansy though. All of the Slytherins were cruel to her. She learned very quickly what it was like to be on the receiving side of bullying, which Ella told her she suffered too. Her books were stolen from her and destroyed till they were nearly unusable. Avery had tried to replace them, but the replacements got the same treatment, so she left them that way. Her uniform would get torn or stolen sometimes. Someone kept sticking needles in her shoes, coat, and books, so she was constantly getting scratched and cut. They shoved her around in the hallway so much that Avery spent most of the passing period in an empty classroom just to avoid most of the crowd. This of course often made her late to class and then her professors would get mad at her. But it was better than the bruises she had acquired from hitting the wall and floor so many times.

Avery rolled over, trying to shake the thoughts out of her mind. She didn't want to think about the bullying any more than she had to. Honestly the animosity between the two houses made no sense to her. It seemed, to her, that they could do so much more if they worked together then constantly trying to tear each other down. Her thoughts were about to trail off again towards memory lane when the door to the bathroom of her room opened and Ella walked out in a beautiful emerald green gown that Avery had bought her for the Yule Ball. Avery sat up beaming.

"Oh Ella you look beautiful!" she cried happily. Ella blushed deeply and fidgeted with embarrassment.

"You think so?" she asked. Avery nodded vigorously.

"You'll be the prettiest girl there." she smiled. Ella shook her head and giggled.

"Stop." she blushed brighter. Avery thought it was rather like Christmas, green and red. She giggled at the thought and went over and hugged her friend.

"You do look pretty." she said sincerely. Ella smiled.

"Thanks Avery. You will too." she said, nodding to the other dress lying out to be put on. Avery smiled.

"I better go get changed then." she joked and grabbed the dress, hurrying into the bathroom. The Yule Ball would start in just a few hours and despite that neither girl had a date, they were both excited to go. Neither had been to a ball before and they were happy that they had each other to go with to see what fun they could get into.


	5. Chapter 5 The Yule Ball

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: As mentioned before, the OC characters here are made by myself and Sgt Ducky. She is also writing a story about Harry, Ella, and the gang, but from the Gryffindor point of view. Anyone who likes this story should really go and read hers. It's awesome! However, there will be many spoilers in this story for that story, and vice versa, so be warned. Thanks again to everyone who's been reading this and reviewing and favoriting it. It makes me so happy! So here's another chapter, just for you guys. I promise things are going to get better soon!

Chapter Five – The Yule Ball

I remember how beautiful she looked that night. It was the first time I saw her as something more than the little girl I knew as a child. I remember having to suppress any thought that she looked nice, or any desire to tell her so because of the others. It was so stupid. The number of times I would bite my tongue, just for others. I was a fool. But I still treasure the memory of seeing her there, looking like that.

Avery sat quietly at a table by herself away from the crowd dancing, watching all her friends having fun. Blake had asked Gina to the dance and judging by her red complexion, she was enjoying herself under his constant charming attention. Sage had taken Kristy and they were sitting at a table the two of them chatting away and Avery suspected they hadn't realized how close together their heads were. Harry had asked Ella to dance and they were working on a basic sort of sway, grinning at each other like fools. Avery could only hope something was going on between them now. To everyone's great shock, Victor Krum had asked Hermione to the dance and her great reveal of that information was here at the dance. They were now dancing together and Hermione looked quite happy. That only left one unhappy member sitting over by himself. Ron. Ron looked livid when Hermione entered with Krum and had settled into a constant glare since then directed at the head of the star quittich player. Avery had considered going over to check on him but when his own date ran away she thought it might be better to let him simmer. Avery had to admit though, his dress robes were cute. She doubted he would think so though.

Avery watched as one of the Durmstrang students looked over at her a few times, a curious look on his face. He smiled to her and she returned the gesture shyly, feeling her nerves begin to build. It wasn't that she disliked the other schools, it could have been a student from Hogwarts and she would have felt the same way. Her experience with boys only went so far. Mainly the Gryffindor boys she now hung out with, and Draco.

She had seen Draco too. He looked very handsome in his sleek black dress-robes. Avery wasn't the only one who thought so either, since more than one Slytherin girl flocked to him where he sat, but he didn't ask any of them to dance, not even Pansy, much to her dismay. Instead, Pansy clung to Draco and stayed at his side, sneering at every other girl that came over.

Avery was so distracted watching Draco that she didn't see the Durmstrang student approach her.

"Pardon me miss." his deep voice cut through her thoughts. Avery jumped. The boy chuckled.

"Sorry to startle you. I didn't realize I was intruding on your thoughts." he smiled teasingly. Avery was so embarrassed she didn't realize he was teasing her.

"O-oh no i-it's fine! Really! I wasn't paying attention." she replied quickly, the tell-tale blush revealing her embarrassment. He smiled to her again.

"I see my charms are no match against you." he teased again. Avery only grew more mortified, thinking she'd offended him. She turned redder and leant back away from him raising her hands.

"Oh no I'm so sorry I didn't mean that at all!" she said quickly, waving her hands in a rapid manner. The Durmstrang boy looked confused.

"Are you alright miss?" he asked, leaning forward towards her. Avery leant so far back she nearly fell out of her chair. With a small yelp she grabbed the table and corrected herself. He was looking at her with deep concern now and Avery did the only thing she could think of.

"E-excuse me." she stammered and turned before running off out of the room. So much for decorum. Avery wasn't usually a klutz or anything of the sort; it just seemed she was doomed for bad luck today. In her hurry to escape embarrassment she didn't look where she was going when she ran out of the Great Hall and rounded the corner of the door so fast she collided with another body.

"Sorry!" she yelped, pulling back from surprisingly strong, warm arms that had caught her upon impact before she bounced back to the ground on reflex. She looked up to see who she hit only to feel her face grow exceedingly redder.

"D-Draco!" she squeaked. Draco looked down at her with a moment's pause of surprise, having been caught completely off-guard before he gathered himself again. The entrance hall was far from empty, although his usually posse wasn't attached to him like usual. A look of distaste grew across his face and he let her go quickly as if he were touching something burning hot. He couldn't acknowledge her here, not now.

"Watch where you're going." he snapped. Avery winced more at his words than when she had physically run into him.

"I-I'm sorry." she said softly, looking up at him with those pleading blue eyes. Draco was amazed to see hope still lingered there.

"I didn't realize you would be right there. I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm sorry." Avery continued emphatically. Her apologies were so sincere he couldn't bring himself to snub her like he would any other student.

"Well watch where you're going next time would you?" he replied snidely instead. Avery hung her head and nodded. Part of Draco wanted to say something more, the other part said to walk away. The second part won.

"Draco!" an obnoxious female voice cooed out. Pansy hurried over quickly followed by Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle. Pansy took one look at Avery and her already unattractive face distorted with a sneer. Blaise gave her a contemptuous look.

"What do you want blood-traitor?" he asked in a clearly holier – than – thou tone. Avery knew better than to respond.

"Trying to get Draco to pity you again? How pathetic. Why don't you go run back to your filthy little friends? No one wants you here." Pansy added just as cruelly. Avery felt tears sting her eyes. She glanced up at Draco once more but was only met by an icy wall. His eyes were cold and empty; she wouldn't find any sympathy there.

Avery tried to swallow back the lump that had formed heavily in her throat but it stayed locked where it was, continuing to strangle her already weak voice. She could feel the tears burn at the corner of her eyes and quickly turned, aware enough to check her path for more speed bumps before hurrying into the nearest girl's restroom. She hid in one of the stalls for what felt like forever, but was really only a few minutes.

By the time she went to check her face in the mirror, the tell-tale signs of her recently fallen tears had faded. No more red eyes or stained cheeks. Completely normal. Avery gathered herself and headed back into the Great Hall in time to see another dance end and all the students pause to applaud. Nothing had changed inside. She made it to the table in time to meet Ella's vibrant eyes and smiled. There was no reason to ruin her evening, Avery decided. Her less than pleasant evening would just stay to herself.


	6. Chapter 6 Changes

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, just the ones I've created. Their ownership is shared between Sgt Ducky and myself.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I am sooooo sorry for taking so long to update. Things have been super crazy over here and I've had very little time to sit down and write. But don't worry I will try to do better! I'll be a little slower than I used to be, but I will do my best! We're getting closer to the good stuff I promise. Also: HUGE spoiler alert for anyone reading Sgt Ducky's story. I won't go into all the fun detail that her story does, but there are some pairings revealed (and some drama).

Chapter Six – Changes

Even after she appeared in my life, I was certain of the path I would take. I was sure how my life would go. I would finish school and follow in my father's footsteps. I would make him proud. I couldn't imagine anything different happening, even as frustrating as the first four years of school had gone. I couldn't have imagined how much my life would change. How much my views on everything would change. It all started that summer, when it happened, when he returned.

As fast as the first semester flew by, the second seemed to follow in unison. Suddenly it seemed like everyone was getting together in couples. Kristy and Sage were inevitable, though they butted heads often, yet they always seemed to be enjoying themselves. Avery suspected they fought on purpose. Blake and Gina got together, but Blake hadn't turned out to be quite who they thought he was and they broke up again. Avery felt bad for her and tried to give her a supportive smile every time she saw her. Ron and Hermione still weren't together, but at least it looked like Ron was aware Hermione was a female now. Hermione seemed content with that achievement. Then there was Harry and Ella. Harry had realized that Ella was a girl and had fallen madly for her and they were quite happy together. Avery was so happy for her best friend and teased her often.

The year had ended quite seriously though. Harry faced the third and final task which led him to a face to face battle with Voldemort who was now alive again. When Harry appeared with Cedric's dead body, the whole school was in shock. Avery wasn't actually there however. In the middle of the task Ella had suddenly collapsed. Harry was distraught when he saw. Avery could see the pain in his eyes. She had wanted to look after Ella, but Harry seemed to have it covered, so she left them alone. Ella woke up shortly after, but something seemed to have changed in her. At least she had Harry, and Harry had Ella. Then summer came and everyone had to say goodbye. Avery was sad to go home and say goodbye to all her friends, but at least she had the hope of seeing them all again once school started back up.

Avery's parents had moved back into her childhood home, so this would be her first summer back in England. When she had moved away, her parents had bought a house on the beach in Greece. And yet somehow Avery never tanned. She assumed she couldn't by this point. But this summer she'd be living in England, though she wouldn't get to see the others. Summer passed quickly. She wrote to Ella and the others and it sounded like they were having fun, though they didn't really tell her much about their summers or what they were doing.

Draco had a very different summer. When Voldemort came back to power, his father went to pledge his allegiance again and that lead to a lot of strain in the family. He was always at their house, using it as a sort of home base while he began to form new plans for taking over again. Draco watched as his father helplessly stood by, no longer in control of his own home. That was the hardest. Seeing the man who he had always admired and respected, his own father, helpless and bowing down to another; that was hard.

It quickly became apparent however, that that was really the least of his worries. Voldemort decided to take an interest in Draco, which should have been a huge honor, and Draco was honored, because it made his father happy, but at the same time, it was difficult. Voldemort was cruel and sarcastic. He was mean to Draco at every possible chance. He forced Draco to come to the meetings, although he did not brand Draco as one of his own yet. Draco could feel the pressure building on his shoulders. He had to do things right, he had to make the Dark Lord happy, or his family could suffer. It was just about pride now, not even about making his parents happy, it was about keeping each other alive.

And honestly, he was a little scared. But he had no one to talk to, Draco learned that very quickly. He tried talking to some of his Slytherin friends, particularly the children of other Death Eaters, but they were all fake, power-hungry, mindless fools. Draco felt alone. Was there no one out there who he could confide in? No one he could drop his guard around and actually be himself? Was there no one who he could turn to, for advice, and for comfort, when he was feeling scared or pressured? Perhaps being the Slytherin Prince wasn't all it was cracked up to be. "Royalty" was a lonely thing.


	7. Chapter 7 Innocent Encounters

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, just the ones I've created. Their ownership is shared between Sgt Ducky and myself.

Author's Note: Here I am again! Sorry I've been gone sooo long. Busy with summer school and such. But hopefully chapters will come faster. This one's a little short but I think you guys might like it. Enjoy and get ready for more fun! P.S. I know I promised in the next day but I got pretty sick yesterday and I just didn't get it done in time. Sorry!

Chapter Seven – Innocent Encounters

After that first year, I thought I'd fallen into a pattern I couldn't escape. But then things changed. That summer brought so many new emotions and thoughts. The new year was bound to be miserable. Isolated and alone, I had no one to turn to. Trapped in myself. I needed someone to save me. Then she was there. She appeared. She held her hand out to me and gave me a shoulder to lean on. She saved me.

Avery turned the page in her book as she walked down the aisle of books in the back of the library, safe in the solitude of the area. No one went to the back of the library. Here she was safe from bullies and other students and could read in peace. Rounding a corner she didn't see that there was someone else standing there in her sacred hiding place and ran right into another human body. With a gasp her book went toppling to the ground and she gripped the robes of the wizard supporting her up. The warmth felt familiar. Glancing up she felt her heart stop and then pick up two-fold.

"D-Draco!" Avery gasped, turning bright red. Draco blinked and then let her go, although it wasn't with the usual force when he scoffed her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking over her. Avery blushed and looked a bit confused.

"Yes." she replied nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Draco leant down and picked up her book for her and held it out to her.

"Here." he said. She took it and held it to her chest, looking over him both curious and confused. He saw her expression and knew what she was thinking. He glanced around and then sighed.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" he said, turning back to look at her. Avery nodded slowly. It was best to let him talk first.

"How have you been?" he asked. Avery blinked for a moment and then lit up. That smile from their childhood appeared on her face again and part of Draco wanted to mimic his younger child self and puff with pride, but he had enough self control now not to show it.

"I've been alright, you?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"Same. Look….I do remember you." he said finally. He was getting tired of hiding it if he was honest with himself, but that didn't happen often. To say that Avery was glowing would have been an understatement. It was like a light had been turned on inside her and she was truly luminous.

"Really?" she asked hopefully then laughed at herself, "I mean you must if you say that." Draco couldn't help but smile slightly; her responses were so sincere and unguarded. It was rather refreshing compared to all the calculated responses of the other Slytherins he called 'friends'. Avery looked over him.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" she asked, after all, it had been a year. Draco sighed.

"I really couldn't in front of the others." he replied. That was a proper excuse, wasn't it? He thought over the bullying she had received because of it and a twinge of guilt tugged at his stomach. He didn't want her to get hurt because of him; she was innocent of all the insanity going on around him.

"Though I never expected you to get bullied so." he added, aware that the real source of her bullying was from her own choices. Avery shrugged with a sweet smile.

"It's okay. It's inconvenient but what can you do?" she said, intending it to be a rhetorical question.

"I could tell them to stop." Draco offered. Avery blushed at his response and shook her head.

"You don't have to. Besides, if you did, then they would question if you knew me, and you're trying to avoid that right?" she asked, looking at him with a knowing little smile. Draco sighed, she had him there.

"I'm just happy you remember me." she smiled sweetly. It was true, in the past few minutes he had made her happier than anything else. Just knowing that he did know who she was, and that the nice boy she had grown up with was still there in him was more than enough for her. Draco couldn't help but smile back. Her smile was contagious. If he tried to hold it back it tickled the corners of his lips till he gave in. It was a nice feeling, unfamiliar, but nice. The sound of students laughing in the distance snapped him back to reality. He glanced around and then mentally shook himself from his musings.

"Don't tell anyone though okay?" he repeated his earlier request. Avery nodded. Draco looked over Avery and knew he could trust her. Which reminded him that he wasn't the only one.

"But you know they'd really stop bullying you if you stopped running around with Potter and his crowd." he pointed out with his usually holier-than-though tone. Avery frowned.

"But they're my friends." she protested. Draco frowned.

"He's crazy. He and Dumbledore." Avery shook her head at his statement.

"He's telling the truth. I believe him. What purpose would he have for lying?" she asked. Draco scoffed.

"Attention of course." he replied snidely. Avery shook her head again.

"He doesn't want attention. And if he said he saw him, then I believe Harry." she added. Draco snorted.

"Sure he does. And if he really saw him, he would be dead."

"He survived once, who says he couldn't do it again?"

"He's not that strong." Avery frowned which came out almost as a half pout and half frown. Why did Draco have to hate Harry? Why couldn't they just see each other for what they were? She sighed in frustration and shook her head, her hair falling in front of her face. She brushed it away again and looked at Draco.

"I believe him." she repeated stubbornly. Draco raised an eyebrow and frowned.

"What?" she asked, confused by his sudden silence.

"I just can't believe you believe him." he replied with a shrug. Avery gave him a small smile.

"Like I said, he's my friend. And Ella's boyfriend." she added with a happier smile. Draco made a face.

"You really shouldn't hang out with them." he added. Then he could acknowledge her and not ruin his image. Avery's smiled softened and saddened.

"Like I said, they're my friends. They're all I have." she replied. Draco shook his head slightly.

"You could try hanging out with the Slytherins instead." he suggested, "if you stopped hanging out with them you'd be welcomed in." Not entirely true, but he could make it happen. Avery was more skeptical.

"Maybe…" she replied slowly. She doubted it. Draco sighed. There was something so frustrating about this girl. Why wouldn't she just behave how he wanted her to? He liked her smile and she was the first person to actually talk to him and not pretend around him and kiss up. But at the same time, she didn't listen to him and do as he told her like the others did. It was getting rather annoying. If she would only do as he asked she could spend time around him and the others and then he wouldn't have to constantly ignore her and scoff her. After talking to her now he no longer wanted to ignore her. He wanted to be able to speak to her again.

"Besides, I'm sure he's always going off about how bad we are." Draco sneered in true form. Avery shook her head with the same avidness that she defended Harry before.

"No. I won't let them." she replied quickly and then blushes brightly.

"I mean….I defend you…" she mumbled, glancing downwards. That knocked Draco off guard.

"Why?" he asked blatantly. Avery blushed more and smiled meekly up at him.

"Because you're my friend. You were my best friend when we were little." she said sweetly. Again Draco felt that tingle in the corner of his lips and smiled.

"You're too nice." he said, unsure if it was a fault or a compliment. Avery giggled.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" apparently she was on the same train of thought as him. Draco shrugged.

"In Slytherin probably bad." he chuckled. Avery giggled and smiled. Draco looked over her and the words blurted out before he could really consider them.

"You know if you wanted to hang out with us I could make the others shut up." he said and then paused wondering where the hell the words had come from. Why was he doing all this for her? A little war was going on inside his head. He wanted her to do what he wanted, but he couldn't understand why he really wanted her around so much. Avery looked at him surprised and he felt a slight tinge of embarrassment from the look in her eyes.

"I mean…I have an idea that will shut them up." he explained. Or would think of one. Avery smiled.

"Just come by sometime if you want to hang out." he finished. He really needed to stop talking. What made him keep talking? He must be jinxed. That must be it. Loose tongue jinx. Avery smiled and nodded.

"Okay." she replied. The idea of walking intentionally into the Slytherin Common Room to 'hang out' was rather intimidating to her but she would do it for him. It just might take her a few days to work up the guts. He nodded.

"Great….well…I better go." he said. And get an anti-jinx cast on him. Avery smiled warmly to him.

"Alright. It was really nice talking to you Draco." she said sweetly. Draco cracked a half smile.

"Yeah." he replied, unwilling to let this apparent jinx ruin his reputation any more.

"See you around." she smiled. Draco gave her a small nod.

"Bye." he said and then turns and walks off down the aisle, wondering who had cursed him and how he would get them back. He couldn't deny a small fluttering of warmth in his chest though. It felt nice to talk to her again. Avery giggled and hugged her book to her chest happily. He spoke to her! He remembered her! He asked her to hang out with him! She felt like she was on cloud nine. Could her day get any better?


	8. Chapter 8 Her Hiding Place

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, just the ones I've created. Their ownership is shared between Sgt Ducky and myself.

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so unbearably long guys! I promise to try and do better. School has started again, so in some senses I will have more time to write, and in some senses less. I'll do my best! For now, please enjoy!

Chapter Eight – Her Hiding Place

If I close my eyes, I can still picture it clearly, although it's been years since we were there together. The room was always quiet and empty, but dust never really seemed to gather. Must have been one of the magical properties of Hogwarts. I remember the windows that lined the side wall farthest from the door and the view over the lake. I remember all the desks were piled and lined neatly against the opposite wall from the door, leaving the wall the door was on empty. At night the room was almost pitch black, but in the afternoon there was a soft sort of glow that filled it, giving everything a soft light. I remember how she looked in that room, in that soft glow. It brought out the faint touches of gold in her hair and made her eyes look a darker blue than they usually did. I remember that look of fear that she could never fully shake or hide that would linger in her eyes. That room was her sanctuary, and her prison. I loved and loathed it for those reasons. I wanted to take her out of the room, like a bird that had been caged her whole life, and set her free into the sunshine and watch as she flew and sang.

It had been a couple days since Draco had invited Avery to join him and the other Slytherins in the Common Room. Avery was still hesitant to do just that, and so hadn't gone yet. She had passed Draco a couple times around the castle but didn't have the guts to say anything to him. She would give him her usual shy smile, but that was all. In truth, the bullying and teasing she had to deal with affected her more than she liked to admit. Draco, who had no idea of the depth of those scars, was only confused as to why she hadn't shown up yet. Part of him suspected Potter, and that green monster of jealousy raised its head once again.

Draco tried to pay more attention to her, figure out where she went instead of coming to the Common Room like he asked. That's when he noticed that when class ended, she was always the first one out, usually bolting out the door. Where did she go in such a hurry?

One afternoon they got out of class a little early, and once again, Avery bolted. Curious, Draco followed her. She hurried down the hall and turned quickly into a classroom. Draco paused. That classroom was deserted. No one used it. Quietly he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Avery had wandered over to the dusty, cracked old window and was looking outside over the lake. There was a pile of desks and chairs all crammed against one wall, dusty and covered in cobwebs. Even the floor and walls were covered in dust after all the years of abandonment. The number of footprints in the dust on the floor told Draco how often she came here. Too often.

"Avery." he called gently, not wanting to startle her too badly. Avery jumped and spun around. She looked relieved when she saw him.

"Draco," she breathed, "you scared me."

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, taking a step towards her. Avery gave him a tiny smile.

"Just…um…waiting." she replied, not wanting to lie to him. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Waiting for what?" he asked. Avery shifted before responding.

"Passing period to end." she answered sheepishly.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"…" Avery chewed lightly on her bottom lip. Draco recalled how much the other Slytherins had decided to bully her.

"It's to avoid getting bullied, isn't it?" he asked, closing most of the distance between them as he crossed the room to her. Avery sighed defeated.

"Yes." she answered, almost sounding ashamed. Draco frowned.

"You know they would stop if you stopped hanging out with Potter." he replied, the name coming out like acid. Avery shook her head. Draco sighed in frustration. What did she see in Potter? Why was she so adamant about him? Why did she hang out with the lame Gryffindor crowd, but not him?

"You really ought to come join us in the Common Room sometime. I promise they'll stop." he pressed. Avery looked up at him with a mixture of hope and fear. If it was just Draco, Avery wouldn't pause for a heartbeat. The fact that he was here, talking to her, asking about her, trying to help her, mean the world to her. She had missed him so much, and here he was again, her Draco. She gave him a little smile.

"Okay." She replied, unable to really deny him anything. Draco grinned.

"Excellent." They shared a smile for a moment before Avery nervously broke his gaze and bent down to pick up her bag she'd set at her feet.

"Class will be starting soon. We should go." she pointed out. Draco nodded but paused when he got a glimpse of her hand. A couple of her fingers were bandaged and there was another on her palm. He reached out and grabbed her wrist gently, lifting her palm so he could inspect it.

"What happened?" he demanded. If he wasn't so worried about her hand, he might have felt how her pulse skipped a beat and picked up double speed at his touch. Avery blushed.

"Nothing…I just…got a couple paper cuts the other day." she replied. Paper cuts on little pieces of class slipped into her textbooks. Draco looked up at her and studied her face. The nervousness in her eyes told him what he suspected was true. She was lying.

"Well be more careful, alright?" he'd let her get away with it…this time. Avery nodded.

"I will." she gave him a shaky smile. He released her wrist.

"I'll see you later in the Common Room." he smiled back before turning and walking out. Avery leaned back before turning and walking out. Avery leaned back against the wall and put a hand over her racing heart. It wasn't fear that had her heart going; she wasn't afraid of him or even him finding out the truth, but with those piercing eyes and sincere concern, Avery couldn't help but fall a little bit. Draco was charming when he wanted to be, and handsome, and when his eyes held hers so strongly like they had before, she was helpless.

Snapping back to reality and realizing she was about to be late for class, she snatched up her bag and raced out into the hall, Draco and the other students all long gone.


	9. Chapter 9 Humiliation

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, just the ones I've created. Their ownership is shared between Sgt Ducky and me.

Author's Note: Once again, I have taken an unbearably long time to post a new chapter. Sorry! But, now that I'm ready to get the ball rolling, hopefully they should come a little faster now. Fingers crossed! Thanks for bearing with me guys!

Chapter Nine – Humiliation

Despite everything I did, everything I said, I never really meant to hurt her. That wasn't my intention. Certainly not in the way that I did…I was…so angry. I couldn't understand her. I couldn't understand why she chose him over me. I was still so wrapped up in myself I never considered her feelings. What it must have been like for her. The very last thing I wanted to do was to see her cry, but I did. Time and time again. It was a pierce to my heart – for every tear that escaped her eyes, a drop of my blood spilled. Maybe…maybe that would make up for my mistakes, for everything I've done. As soon as the words cross my mind I know the truth; nothing can make up for what is done.

Avery stood outside the Common Room, forcing herself to take a deep breath. She'd been putting this off for days and she knew she couldn't keep doing that. She promised Draco that she would come visit him and attempt to hang out with his friends. The thought made a knot form painfully in her stomach. But Draco had said it would be okay and she trusted him…so with a final steadying breath, she whispered the password and entered the dark Common Room.

Draco sat on a couch, Pansy draped beside him, all but laying across him, Crabbe and Goyle sitting in chairs to his left and Blaise in a chair on his right. A couple others sat with them, but Draco paid less attention to them. It felt as if her feet had a mind of their own, dragging her towards where they sat. Draco looked in time to meet her eyes as she approached and she could swear his lips curled up slightly when he saw her. If her knees hadn't been weak before that, they were now.

"Hey," Draco addressed her when she was close enough to the small circle. They all turned to look at her.

"Hi," Avery was so grateful her voice didn't waver when she spoke that single syllable.

Pansy raised an eyebrow and looked her over from head to toe before leaning closer to Draco.

"How…how are you?" Avery faltered for a moment before getting her question out, not breaking Draco's eye contact. The others didn't matter. She was here to see him. That's all that mattered to her.

"Good. You?" Draco returned the courtesy, giving her as small of an encouraging smile he could get away with.

"Um…Draco…did I miss something? Are we talking to _her_ now?" Pansy asked with a sneer. "I thought you didn't know her."

"No I told you, Avery is cool," Draco replied. Pansy looked surprised and opened her mouth to protest.

"But—"

"I said I know who she is, have a problem with it?" Draco used his typical haughty sneer he knew made others bow down to him. He was good at manipulating these people. He knew the ins and outs of how they worked. They were clinging to him to try to get a taste of power. If he held it over their head they would accept anything he fed them.

"No of course not," Pansy said quickly, turning to Avery with a fake smile plastered across her face. Avery could only imagine how much energy it took Pansy to force it there.

"Any friend of Draco's is a friend of ours. Come sit, Avery," Pansy commanded, patting the spot beside her.

Avery glanced at the spot and then at Pansy. She had every reason to fear Pansy and her false smile. Pansy had been the head of the make-Avery-miserable team after all, one of the girls that bullied her. It was more than that, though. There was something in the glower of her eye, the way she possessively looked at Draco and then glared at Avery as if daring her to come near what she saw as her own property. Pansy seemed about as friendly as a blast-ended skrewt and Avery had no intention of sitting next to her. She was saved when Draco patted the empty space on the couch on his other side. Avery sat gratefully, trying to ignore the poison stare from the girl on Draco's other side.

"She's been pretty clever. Managed to get into Gryffindor Tower and everything," Draco drawled almost lazily, as if it were no big deal, but his eyes were focused keenly on the rest of the group. He had to boost Avery in their eyes somehow and give her credibility or they'd never accept her. Avery looked at Draco in shock.

"Really? That's impressive. What's it like up there?" Blaise asked, leaning forward a little with curiosity. Draco felt a wave of relief. This could really work. As long as Avery went along with it…

"Well…it's very warm…and cozy…there's a lot of red and gold of course…since those are their house colors," Avery replied, unsure how to respond or where Draco was trying to go with this. Was he trying to twist her friendship with the Gryffindors into something else?

"Good for that lazy lot," Draco snorted.

Avery remained silent.

"So do you still hang out with _them_, Avery?" Pansy asked in a falsely sweet voice that reminded Avery a little of Professor Umbridge. She didn't like her any more than she liked Pansy.

"Yes." Avery saw no way around it. She wasn't going to lie.

"To get information of course," Draco covered quickly and waved his hand to brush the thought off as he added "I'd try the method myself if I didn't hate them so much."

Avery looked at Draco, finally seeing what he was doing. He expected her to lie. He expected her to spy on her friends and tell the other Slytherins about them. How could he expect her to do that? The knot that had earlier formed in Avery's stomach twisted tighter and lurched and for a moment she thought she would be sick.

"I can't stand that Umbridge woman personally, but I'm glad to see someone is finally putting Potter through his paces." Draco smirked and laughed.

Avery turned to face him. "How can you say that? He came back with his hand bleeding! It was swollen for days!" Her cheeks flushed slightly with anger and she felt the cold burn of betrayal in her chest. He had not only made her come here, but had tried to force her to lie, spy on her friends, bad mouth them, and now was mocking their pain! She couldn't sit by as her friends were mocked.

Draco stared at Avery for a moment trying to figure out how to recover from her statement while wondering what the hell she was thinking. Was it not obvious what he was trying to do for her? What he was trying to set up? And here she was completely blowing it to pieces! The others all stared at Avery and an awkward silence built up among the group.

"He deserves it of course," Draco said with a weak laugh, trying to blow the whole thing over.

"He didn't deserve it!" Avery protested.

Pansy snickered behind her hand, clearly gleeful at Avery's obvious discomfort. It was clear she wasn't one of them and Pansy was relishing in it. She glanced at Blaise and he met her gaze, looking at Avery the same way. Everywhere she glanced she was met with the same uninviting look that told her she didn't belong. She was a freak. An outsider. Unwanted. Unable to stand it anymore, Avery got quickly to her feet.

"I should go," she said.

"Uh…yeah…I'll…see you later…" Draco replied awkwardly. He shifted a little in his seat, almost as uncomfortable as her. Avery turned and quickly rushed out, but not before hearing Blaise's cruel laughter at her expense. Tears were freely falling down her face before she cleared the exit.

"Nice choice there, Draco. You sure know how to pick 'em."

"Shut up," Draco snapped.

"Hey mate; it's not your fault. Some people just don't belong." Blaise obviously thought Draco had attempted some sense of pity for Avery and that was why he invited her over. "At least you tried."

"Yeah…" Draco leaned back in his seat and looked at where Avery had left not seconds before, trying to decide if he should follow her or not. The conversation moved on, Avery quickly forgotten, leaving Draco to his thoughts.

After a little while Draco had had enough and got to his feet.

"I'm going to go stretch my legs for a bit. I'll see you guys later," he said and walked out before any of the others could protest or attempt to join him. He felt obligated to check on Avery and he suspected he knew where he would find her. He made his way to the old abandoned classroom he'd found her in before. As he approached the door he heard the soft sound of someone crying and felt his chest tighten with guilt.

Quietly, he pushed the door open to see Avery sitting on the floor near the door with her legs pulled tight against her chest and her head bowed and hidden against her knees. She run the whole way to the room and barely made it inside before she stumbled to the ground and just sat, pulling her legs in close to hold herself together as she succumbed to her own sobs.

"Avery?" Draco questioned softly, closing the door behind him and moving closer to her.

Avery jumped and looked up at him, surprised to see him there.

"D-draco?" She tried to wipe the tears away but as soon as she wiped away an old one a new one fell to replace it and she quickly gave up. She couldn't stop crying.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you." Draco sat down beside her, "sorry about what happened back there."

Avery felt torn. Part of her wanted to comfort him and tell him it was fine. Even after all that happened she still loved her Draco and knew that he cared about her too, since he was here. But the other part of her wanted to let him have it. Tell him how much he hurt her, how he had betrayed her, humiliated her, and how deeply it wounded her.

"But you know you didn't really help the situation any. I thought you would have realized you needed to lie in front of them." That did it.

"Excuse me?" Avery asked, turning to look at him, anger bubbling in her chest.

"How was I supposed to know that?" she snapped.

"I figured it was obvious," Draco said, looking at her surprised, "it's what we all do."

"They're my friends Draco. I would never betray their trust or bad talk them. I don't assume automatically that I have to lie about them in front of a group of people that I don't care about in the least!" Her anger was flaring up now.

"Well excuse me for trying to help you fit in!" Draco snapped back, his own temper flaring. "It's your own fault now if they keep bullying you! You brought it on yourself. You could stop it but you won't because you're so stubborn about your damn Gryffindor friends!"

Avery pushed away from the wall to suppress the urge to slap Draco. She'd never wanted to hit someone before, but she did now. She hardly noticed that she was sobbing harder now, all the pent up emotions just boiling over. She stood and looked down at Draco.

"You think it's so easy! You have no idea what it feels like to be bullied! I bet you've never been bullied once in your life!"

"That's because I don't let it happen! You have to act a certain way around certain people! That's just how it is!" He was on his feet now too.

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't know that! You forget that I'm not as used to this as you are! I haven't done it before. I grew up living alone with my parents.

"Do you want to know what it feels like?" Avery asked, feeling like her heart was knotting up in her chest and trying to burst out painfully.

"It's scary! It hurts. It makes me feel ashamed of who I am! It's not easy to just walk up to them and pretend like we're all friends. You really embarrassed me back there! I was humiliated!" Avery half sobbed, half shouted the words at him. It both hurt and helped to say. The words were off her chest, but it didn't necessarily make her feel any better to say.

Draco stood, his anger deflated, staring at the sobbing girl. Avery's shoulders slumped as she cried, caving in on herself. Her words stung him harder than if he had been slapped. After all he'd done to try to help her; he'd only just made it worse. Gently, he moved closer to her, touching her shoulder.

"Avery…..I'm sorry," he whispered. She only hid her face and her tears behind her hands. He couldn't bear it any longer and did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Avery buried her face against his chest and the crook of his neck and sobbed, clinging to him.

"I just…wanted to help….obviously I kinda failed at that," he explained quietly, loud enough for her to hear him. "You don't have to go back and hang out with them. I'll tell them to leave you alone too." He would do anything to make her stop crying. To bring that smile back.

"I want to spend time with you," Avery admitted, her voice muffled against the material of his shirt.

"We'll hang out," he promised. And he meant it.

Avery was beginning to feel a little sheepish about shouting at Draco.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," she mumbled. Draco rubbed her back gently.

"I kinda deserved it," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. Avery peeked up at him with a small smile. He knew he'd promise that face anything. He wiped a tear from her cheek and had an idea. Something that could work to both their benefits.

"Hey let's make a deal," he offered.

"What?" she asked.

"It'll be a rule when we hang out. No talking about the Gryffindors, good or bad."

Avery looked up at Draco with a hopeful gaze. Her smile was growing now, the bright glow returning to her blue eyes.

"Really?" She asked barely above a whisper, "You promise?"

Draco nodded.

"Think you can actually do that?" she asked, teasing him now.

"I'll work on it." Draco laughed. It felt good to laugh and smile with her.

"It's a deal."

Avery held on to him for another moment, realizing this was the first time he'd hugged or held her since she had arrived at school. There was something safe about his arms. It was like coming home. Her heart seemed to beat in time with his, as if they were two halves waiting to be whole again, each beat calling out to the other. His arms were warm and strong, but she didn't feel trapped. If she was honest with herself, she didn't want to leave them. She hoped Draco wouldn't move for another moment longer. She wanted to treasure the moment while she could, not knowing when he would do it again. Quietly she rested her head back on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. She smiled softly to herself when she realized it wasn't that much different from when they were little. There was still something about it that was undoubtedly Draco.

"Want to go for a walk?" Draco asked after a minute of silence.

"Okay," Avery agreed. Finally she forced herself to let go of him and step back, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her sleeve. He smiled over her and held the door open for her.

"Thanks for being so patient with me."

Avery smiled. "Thanks for still being my friend."

"Of course," Draco returned her smile whole-heartedly. Avery stepped past him out the door and Draco followed, closing it silently behind them.

A.N.2: *sniff* I hope y'all get the symbolic reference there. Haha. Thanks for bearing with me in my super long absence. Hope this nice, long, emotion-filled scene makes up for it a little. Be on the look-out for more chapters coming up soon! How will 5th year continue for the blooming friendship? Will Avery remain close friends with the Gryffindors? Will Draco spurn his friends to be with Avery? Stay tuned! Reviews and critiques are always welcome!


	10. Chapter 10 Wintery Adventures

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, just the ones I've created. Their ownership is shared between Sgt Ducky and me. If you want to read more about Ella and the other Gryffindors see Sgt Ducky's story – it's this same world from the other side!

Author's Note: Hey guys sorry for the delay! Not quite as bad as last time right? Thanks for all the reviews and responses I've gotten so far! I really appreciate it. But you don't read these stories to hear me blab, so without further ado, the next chapter!

Chapter Ten – Wintery Adventures

Sometimes, late at night, I'll close my eyes and remember those times at school. Sometimes they intermingle with my dreams. When I wake up crying, I can't tell if it's from joy or sorrow. Probably both. So bright and warm. When she smiles, it's like someone turned on a light inside me. Her glow warmed me in a way no fire ever could. She was the sunshine in my cold existence. Every smile, every laugh, every happy memory is a treasure I keep locked safe in my heart. We spent our time hidden, away from the world, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. When I was alone with her…I could be myself. Instead of hiding, I was free.

After that day Draco and Avery started to spend more time together. In secret of course. Draco might have admitted to himself that he enjoyed spending time with Avery, but he wasn't ready to admit it to the world yet. Her social image continued to plummet as she spent time with Ella and the Gryffindor gang. Avery didn't mind though, all she really cared about was spending time with Draco. Well, _her_ Draco. She'd come to categorize the different sides of Draco to better explain how he could be so different around her in different settings. There was her Draco, the one she grew up with and still spent time with her when they were alone, and then there was the other Draco that had sneered at her and now mostly just ignored her. Draco couldn't bring himself to spurn her publicly anymore, so to avoid it he just avoided her. Something, once he explained it to her, Avery agreed to go along with.

Winter was swiftly approaching the grounds of Hogwarts, coating the ground outside in layers of sparkling, white snow and freezing over the lake with thick, dark ice. The occasional student could be seen out ice skating in the areas that were safe enough, but more likely the wintery season was celebrated by an increasing number of snowball fights. Avery had a running theory that every snowball fight was actually secretly started by Fred and George. She just had no way to prove it. Yet. To avoid said fights, Avery spent a lot of time indoors or away from the general crowd if she did go outside. Of course if she ever went outside with Ella, Harry, and the group, all bets were off. Harry was a walking target for snowballs seconded only to his brother, Ron. Another reason Avery suspected the Weasley twins to be behind the attacks. Not that Avery minded the snow so much. She thought it was beautiful. But when you're soaking wet and freezing cold after being completely coated in snow or falling into a large pile of it, you begin to reconsider your love of the cold white stuff. The only person who was openly complaining about the snow was Kristy, who found the snow put a real damper on her fiery nature.

It was one of those rare weekends at Hogwarts where the sky was clear without a sign of a cloud in sight and fresh batch of snow lay on the ground, inviting to be trampled and scooped up. Since there weren't any classes, students were all outdoors playing around. Gryffindors and Slytherins being no exception. Avery trekked through the snow trying to contain her excitement as she approached the lake. He had promised to hang out with her today and teach her how to ice skate. When she saw a couple kids out on the ice she turned and walked along the edge of the lake, avoiding large piles of snow, hoping to find the more private section Draco had mentioned. Sure enough she reached a bend in the lake and around the other side there wasn't another soul in sight. After a minute she heard the crunching sound of crushed snow under boots that told her someone was approaching. She turned in time to come face to face with Draco.

"Hi," she said with a bright smile, eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Hi," Draco replied trying to hold back a chuckle. He lifted the pair of skates off his shoulder and dropped them onto the ground. "So you really don't know how to skate?"

Avery shook her head. "I moved when I was a little girl remember? I went somewhere where ice skating wasn't exactly a common recreational sport. Not to mention my parents would never have let me out on ice," she replied.

"I'm a little worried about that myself. Did you wear enough layers? Are you cold?" Draco asked in concern. Avery smiled and nodded. She was happy he was worried over her and more than a little flattered, but not even the blonde haired Slytherin would stop her from going out on that ice.

"I'm fine Draco, really," she replied and picked up her own pair of skates from around her shoulders.

Draco sighed and smiled. He must be going soft. Draco Malfoy didn't worry about others. And he certainly didn't let a girl win an argument. But this was Avery they were talking about and more and more he was beginning to see that despite everything, she was getting under his skin. He sat down on the bank of the lake and untied his boots to pull on his skates. Avery sat down beside him and mimicked his actions. Soon both had their skates tied on to their feet. Awkwardly Draco got to his feet. Once he was balanced he slid out over the ice and turned back to Avery.

"Need some help?" he asked, skimming back over.

"No I've got it," Avery replied and tried to push herself up onto her feet only to go falling backwards, arms flailing, back into a pile of snow. She grunted at the impact and brushed a bit of snow off her knee with a pout. Draco tried. He really honestly tried not to laugh. But he couldn't help himself and burst into laughter, holding his sides. Avery peeked up at him with shy embarrassment. Slowly a smile spread across her face as she watched him laugh. His cheeks grew red and his eyes sparkled brighter than any star she'd watched in the sky. She liked it when he laughed. She only wished he did it more.

"Was it that funny?" she asked as he skated over and offered her a hand.

"It was cute," he replied and pulled her gently to her feet once she took his hand. Avery wobbled but managed to keep her balance with her arms straight out on either side of her. Now she was more focused on her feet than his face, otherwise she probably would have blushed.

"Okay….now what?" she asked. Draco offered his hands to her again. After a moment she looked up at him when he was silent and this time did blush. Slowly she placed her hands in his and felt the secure warmth of his touch. He held her hands tight as he began to skate backwards, pulling her along. Avery struggled between focusing on her feet to make sure they stayed under her and getting utterly distracted by Draco. He even made ice-skating handsome. He smiled to her.

"Think you've got it?" he asked. Draco didn't wait for her answer though, and let go of her hands, sliding away from her.

"What? No wait!" Avery gasped, flailing her arms around her again trying to keep her balance as she continued to skim across the ice. "Draco that's not fair!" She could hear him laughing even though he was out of sight.

"How do you stop these things?" she demanded as she continued at a steady pace towards a bank piled high with snow. Suddenly warm hands rested lightly on her waist, steering her away from the bank of snow. She gasped and felt her face grow warm again.

"If it came to sinking or swimming, you'd sink, Avery," Draco teased lightly. He was so playful today Avery could barely keep up. The more relaxed he became around her, the more he took her breath away. She was becoming dangerously in trouble of falling in love with him.

"Hey now, I'm still on my feet aren't I?" Avery retorted, attempting to keep her mind focused on the task at hand – remaining on her feet.

"Only because I'm holding you up," Draco retorted.

"Oh yeah?" Avery asked.

"Yeah," he replied with a smile that she could hear in his voice even though she couldn't see.

"Well check me out now." Avery pulled away from him, beginning to get the concept of how to move her legs to keep skating and remain on her feet. She began to pick up speed and soon was zipping across the ice, a feeling of freedom building in her chest that she'd never felt before. She wanted to yell. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to throw her arms out and bask in the sunlight on her face and the bright laughter bubbling inside her chest.

Draco watched Avery skate with a smile. His childhood companion was practically glowing with pride. She had always been a fast learner and this was no exception as she skated across the lake, steadily gaining momentum. It wasn't until a few minutes had passed that he remembered something she had shouted at him. She had no idea how to stop. She changed directions and was now speeding towards him…and the bank.

"Avery watch out!" he held up his hands to stop her.

"Draco!" her eyes had widened with panic as she realized she was on a one way crash course towards the ground. She sped past him and grabbed onto the only thing she could reach, his hand. With a jerk he turned and started skating beside her, caught off-guard by her momentum. His weight caught her off balance and she felt herself toppling towards the ground even before her skates left the ice. Draco yanked on her arm, pulling her towards him just before the crashed into the snow bank.

Avery found herself, instead of lying on a pile of icy snow, lying atop a very warm body, snow gathered around them. She looked down to find she had fallen on top of Draco and turned redder than strawberry. Draco blinked, taking in their new state and burst into laughter. After a moment it caught and Avery began to laugh too. She managed to sit up and roll to the side, collapsing in the snow beside Draco as their fit of giggles continued. It was minutes before either could speak again.

"I think we've tested our luck with skating enough today." Draco chuckled and brushed the snow out of his hair. He hadn't felt so mirthful in years and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun. Slowly but surely he was growing more and more relaxed around Avery and allowing himself to enjoy himself around her.

Avery smiled to him. "I think you're right," she agreed and flopped back in the snow. "We should call it a day. Lunch will be soon anyways I think."

Draco shifted to look at her. Her light blonde hair looked darker in contrast with the snow and her eyes seemed to reflect the same color as the sky. Her cheeks were bright red from laughter and the cold. She looked so different from the little girl in his memory crying because she was sickly and going away. This girl looked so much more alive. And in a sense she was. Now she was actually getting to live, to experience things and do things, where before she'd been confined to a bed. A feeling was growing in his heart, a feeling he was entirely unaware of yet, that told him secretly that he wanted to share more moments like this with her. He wanted to see her live.

A.N.2: A very corny end to the chapter, but it was a corny, cutesy chapter anyways. I hope you guys enjoyed a little fluff! You could say this was the beginning of the ice around Draco's heart beginning to melt. ;) Haha. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up soon! I promise!


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